The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has called on the Government to ensure that the additional public finance and investment measures announced in today’s Budget translate into greater private investment, stronger productivity and improved economic opportunities across the UK.
Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget, Shanika Amarasekara MBE, Chief Executive of the Finance & Leasing Association, said:
“The real test of this Budget is not simply how much public money the Government commits, but how much private investment it unlocks.
“We welcome the Chancellor’s recognition of the pressures facing households and businesses, and the importance of strengthening investment and economic growth.
“The additional £20.4 billion of capital for the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund represents a significant opportunity. But its success will depend on how effectively Government works with the private finance providers already supporting businesses across the UK.
“Every day, FLA members finance the machinery, equipment, vehicles and technology that businesses need to invest, become more productive and create jobs.
“Public finance should be a catalyst for private investment, not a substitute for it.
“We want to see specialist asset finance providers playing a central role in delivering the Government’s ambitions, particularly through the expanded Growth Guarantee Scheme and initiatives designed to support regional growth and investment.
“At the same time, the decision to increase the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge highlights the need to consider the cumulative impact of taxation and regulation on the finance market.
“We recognise the difficult fiscal choices facing the Chancellor. But if the Government wants lenders to support more investment, it must ensure that the overall policy framework encourages competition, confidence and the availability of finance.
“The Budget’s measures to support household finances and address energy costs are also welcome.
“However, improving living standards requires more than immediate financial relief. It means enabling people to make investments that improve their lives, whether that is accessing a reliable vehicle to get to work, replacing essential household goods or making their homes more energy efficient.
“If business finance helps create economic opportunity, consumer finance helps people access it. Both are essential to delivering growth that benefits households and communities across the UK.
“We also want to see a stable and predictable approach to the transition to electric vehicles, ensuring that taxation and other policy measures support consumer confidence and affordable mobility.
“The FLA will continue working with Government to ensure that the UK’s finance market can make its full contribution to investment, productivity and sustainable economic growth.
“The ambition now must be to turn the announcements in today’s Budget into investment in the real economy.”
Notes to Editors
- In 2025, FLA members provided £163 billion of new finance to UK businesses and households, £122 billion was in the form of consumer credit, accounting for almost a third of all new consumer credit written in the UK. £55 billion of it supported the purchase of new and used cars, including over 85% of private new car registrations
- For media enquiries, please contact the FLA press office on 020 7420 9656.
